Anticipation, from the wisdom of Winnie the Pooh to Aristotle

“Well," said Pooh, "what I like best," and then he had to stop and think. Because although eating honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn't know what it was called.”

 A. A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

It is abundantly clear that the garden is about to spring into life. I can practically hear the blossom about to burst forth. The anticipation is palpable and the plants overwintered in the conservatory are simply aching to get into the soil. They have been given regular daytime hours outside on the patio but the cold nights have necessitated them being brought back indoors. But patience must prevail over the sense of anticipation. It would be a shame to leave the half hardy and tender plants outside to suffer the ravages of our unusually cold spring. So I will leave the top tip to Aristotle

“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.” 

Wistfulness

Wistful: sad and thinking about something that is impossible or past

 Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary 

A succession of mists have engulfed our side of the Pennines this week. They have infused the valley with a sense of wistfulness. I think this is not unusual as the winter closes in upon us all, but this year the feeling is that much more acute. While the garden has been a retreat from the sad news of the pandemic that has defined 2020, it is now a paradoxical place with both a degree of melancholia yet the promise of the inevitable rebirth and regrowth. 

The ailing health of the cherry trees at the top of the garden has not helped but at least there is something I can try, to help rectify their situation. I am hoping the application of copper sulphate powder and slaked lime will, up to a point, serve to arrest the fungal attacks. This is to a degree in my control. However, winter and the pandemic will have to run their course. 

Of course, a little feline company, a nice warm brew and the garden are always a reliable restorative, as Hippocrates wisely observed 

 "Nature itself is the best physician.”

 

Summer time and the Livin' is Easy

Although the longest day is now behind us, we are now at the mid point of summer meteorologically speaking. The garden is filling out in its seasonal finery, although it would look a little better if we had some sunshine.

 

 Mili and Hecate are getting outside when it isn't raining but patrolling and marking out their territory seems be a very low priority.

By contrast the blackbirds have been exceptionally busy feeding their young. They are nesting in the ivy and conifer hedge at the side of the house. It is positively exhausting watching how busy they are going back and forth with provisions for their young. Pictured below is the female blackbird with a mouth full of goodies for taking back to the nest.

My approach to the garden is distinctly leisurely by comparison to the no stop activity of the blackbirds. Perhaps I should be a little more forgiving of Mili and Hecate for taking things real easy..... George Gershwin had it about right. 

Hoping for a Bright Tomorrow.

I could not resist  a brief entry to highlight this snap taken yesterday before the sun finally set on the Pennines. It seemed quite fitting in these dreadful times of global pandemic that we try to keep a sense of perspective. A beautiful sight and a reminder that .......every sunset brings the promise of a new dawn.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, philosopher and poet

Let us all hope that the new dawn is not too long off. The gorgeous sky is simply a product of the sun being low on the horizon, meaning sunlight passes through more air than during the day, when the sun is higher in the sky. More atmosphere for the light to pass through, means more molecules to scatter the violet and blue light away from your eyes.This is why sunsets are often yellow, orange, and red. 

A moment to enjoy but also to look forward with some positivity and to appreciate that nature is transient and, no matter what, seasons like pandemics will all pass with time.

Sunsets, like childhood, are viewed with wonder not just because they are beautiful but because they are fleeting.

Richard Paul Evans' US author

Letter to Monty and GW

In the September edition of the Gardener's World magazine Monty Don used his column to reiterate his views on wildlife friendly gardening. He repeated his laudable belief that as gardeners we can all play our part in helping wildlife and, this should therefore preclude the use of chemicals which might target other living organisms. If I understand Monty correctly he will tolerate "pests" and their damage because they, like ourselves, are part of the natural ecosystem.

However, by this logic should the people of sub Saharan Africa be prepared to just tolerate the anopheles mosquito and malaria, the tsetse fly and sleeping sickness or the parasitic worm onchocerca volvulus and river blindness? After all they are part of their own ecosystems. I am confident that Monty would make exceptions in these and other cases. I feel certain he has, in the past, advocated the "picking off" of the red lily beetle and the "rubbing off" of aphid infestations.

In short, I must take issue with Monty and his laisez faire live and let live policy. Whilst those of us fortunate enough to have a good sized garden can probably tolerate a degree of plant loss without spoiling the enjoyment of our garden (see the previous entries on deer and badger damage which we suffer regularly but with a philosophical quiescence), there are many of the modern generation of gardeners who would find the devastation of their prime architectural specimen a difficult blow to take. It is also a fundamental mistake to believe that our gardens are potentially a naturally, balanced and harmonious ecosystem. The plants we happily grow have been foraged from across the globe by intrepid plant hunters, including some of Monty's own ancestors. Others have been cross bred to such a degree which means they barely resemble their original forms. So it would be very difficult (impossible?) to find any parts of Britain that are still covered in its natural climax vegetation. Equally, it is utopian to think we can create a perfectly natural and harmonious environment in out our little backyards!

Consequently, I find myself in almost total agreement with Monty, the use of chemicals ideally should be kept to an absolute minimum (remember some can be beneficial to plant health) and we can aim to create balances in our gardens, including of prey and predators. But there are exceptions when it comes to the physical removal of "pests". I, for one, will be continuing with my evening "slug patrols" and would recommend others who have suffered demoralizing damage to your cherished specimens to think about doing the same!

The Mere Exposure Effect

There is a widely recognized phenomenon in psychology that humans simply seem to like the familiar (also known as the mere exposure effect) and that this is the reason why so many pets and owners have a striking resemblance. In much the same way I am sure that people create gardens that are a reflection of themselves. Whilst this might not always be totally reliable assertion, it is very likely to have an element of validity for a large proportion of us.

This then prompted me to wonder what my garden says about me, or if I do not exactly like the conclusions, what our garden says about us!

Consequently, I have asked a number of close friends what key words they think would best describe the of the garden. Each participant was asked to summarize the style of the garden in no more than 5 words, an attempt to get to the kernel of the matter. Of course, this is not exactly a scientific approach. For a start, the population being surveyed are all friends and are therefore unlikely to use descriptors which are too disparaging (if nothing else out of fear they will not be offered a G&T or ice cold beer next time they might visit). However, curiosity drove me to collate the results and see what might be inferred. After all the garden does consume a significant proportion of my time now that I am retired and it has had literally decades of refinements and modifications to create something that is perhaps an expression of who I am?

The Results:

The most frequently used word was tranquil/ serene, while steep and tiered were the next most popular descriptors.

Does this mean that my personality, as reflected in the garden is someone who is calm and serene? (Or given that there are several tiers is there an underlying split personality defect?). What is for certain others do not see my outdoor space in the same way that I do, and that in itself is rather interesting. I can appreciate why tranquility might be an impression that visitors might take away with them. After all whenever we have company, there is much more sitting, chatting and generally relaxing. This is diametrically apposed to the building, digging, weeding, pruning, planting and general maintenance that engages me for the vast majority of the time. (Although I do concede that when no-one is looking there is a goodly proportion of sitting down going on too!)

Interestingly, there was very little reference to the key words I would have chosen, naturalistic/ disheveled (always being a work in progress) and wildlife friendly. Although one respondent did reveal that she was very tempted to put "like owner unkempt......." but my word restriction did inhibit her from penning this more realistic response.

In summary, I would like to thank the friends who felt able to supply the feedback and I will reflect and feel heartened by the results. I would recommend the exercise.

But survey population beware........ "I can tell a lot about a person by what they choose to see in me" anon.

But please tell me I do not look like him!

My Gardening Philosophy (reasons I enjoy gardening part 6)

Even in the depths of winter there is a lot to be said for getting outside and pottering in the garden. This week I have been able to swap over the contents of the different compost bays, tidied up a few of the dead material from some of the beds and done some work rearranging and repotting of the tubs on the patio. The garden still needs attention even if it just making a temporary repairs to the excavations made by the resident badgers.

It does us all good to get some fresh air and the mental well being you get from being outside is a really good reason to enjoy gardening especially at this time of the year. Even Hecate and Mili can be prompted to shrug  off their winter lethargy when they both come out into the garden to supervise the jobs.

The atmosphere may seem thick with the pervading mizzle that damps the fur but both cats get an obvious boost of vitality and energy from being outside, even if their appetite for the cold means they retreat indoors some time before their human! However, they have had their dose of the outside and I am certain have a renewed universal sense of well being.

"Every time I talk to a savant I feel quite sure happiness is no longer a possibility, yet when I talk with my gardener I am convinced of the opposite" Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)

Gardeners World Forum

My original intention had been to have a six part series on "Why I enjoy gardening"(the last part will follow soon). However, my recent experience on the GW forum has prompted me to insert another reason. If I can explain. Yesterday I posted a question about a possible statement grass for the site at the top of our Pennine garden. Until yesterday I had joined forum discussions but never initiated one. Consequently, I was so chuffed when I received a good selection of really useful replies. It was not a total surprise that so many people are glad to help, but it does reinforce your faith in human nature.

It then prompted me to think about the social benefits that I have enjoyed because of our garden. There is a myriad of plants that have been donated by friends and neighbours. Projects that have been initiated and completed only because I have had extra hands and expertise to call upon. The ideas and inspiration derived form visiting others peoples plots is immeasurable. Hence, another good reason why I enjoy gardening, the sociability. Indeed I will follow this up with a series of blog entries on the contribution of others to the garden.

I have included below the series of recent pictures posted on GW forum with the question, what kind of statement grass can cope with the relative shade on the top border of the garden?
The slate/ gravel is the site and the others show its situation. Clearly the feature grass must be visible from the lawn (pampas grass has been unsuccessfully tried before)

 


If anyone has any ideas, please leave a comment. Thanks.

My Gardening Philosophy (reasons I enjoy gardening part 5)

I have been told on more than one occasion by those who know me the best that I have trouble sitting still. I acknowledge that I do have something of a restless nature, a character trait I share with Mili. The traditional explanation for having proverbial "ants in your pants" is that there is an underlying anxiety, impatience or excess energy. In psychology, somewhat manic behaviour is often ascribed to the need to distract yourself from uncomfortable thoughts. However, I am not sure any of these applies to me at this stage of my life, it is quite simply that I need to keep busy doing something (it also helps reduce the likelihood of falling asleep in the armchair once the sun has gone down).

Keeping active in the garden has so many benefits, as I have outlined in previous blog entries. However, I refute the notion completely that I garden for the sake of keeping active. It is more a matter of being incapable of not keeping myself busy, even if it is just gentle pottering and actually achieving not a great deal. As Confucius once said it does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. But that is not to say that I have a subconscious fear of stopping (at least I think!) it is just an inherent character trait and an important reason why I enjoy doing a spot of gardening. It does, of course, as my mother would say, keep me out of mischief.

As the 19th century writer Oscar Wilde put it in his essay, The Critic as Artist: With Some Remarks on the Importance of Doing Nothing, ‘To do nothing at all is the most difficult thing in the world, the most difficult and the most intellectual.' Perhaps that's the fundamental reason why I just like to keep busy, I'm simply not intellectual enough?

Mili might be slowing down a little these days, but she is still far more restless than Hecate

My Gardening Philosophy (or reasons why I do not like gardening all the time, part 1)

Horrid little aphids have taken a shine to my achillea. Fortunately they do not seem to be causing too much harm but I must be very cautious because the long term damage is yet to be seen. Of course, I have treated the plants (along with the rest of the garden specimens) with neem oil/ soap drench. The aphid colonies are certainly diminished in size (my best guess is by about 80%) but a second treatment in about 7 days time is certainly called for. Environmental factors can be so frustrating!

My Gardening Philosophy (reasons I enjoy gardening part 4)

Grey squirrels are seen regularly 

You might think, given the previous post, that I would consider wildlife to be more of a problem than a benefit. But this could not be further from the truth, it is the joy of being outside close to nature and all the wildlife that makes gardening such a pleasure. The geography of your garden, the habitats you provide and the wildlife havens close by your plot can bring into your space a huge variety of creatures. Every rest break gives a little opportunity to be still and listen, then to look around and hopefully to glimpse something wild, natural and heart warming. "Our task must be to free ourselves. By widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty." Albert Einstein.

another visitor and predator

I am sure that some people might consider it paradoxical that you might want both cats and wildlife in the garden. It is an undeniable fact that cats will both deter and diminish the population of some species. Alarmist media reports are prone to exaggerate the levels of predation, often quoting flawed and inadequate studies, such as the Peter Churcher and John Lawton research. This is based on the prey brought home by 70 cats over the period of one year, the results of which where then erroneously extrapolated for the whole of the country. The fact that the sample was entirely rural village cats and only consisted of such a very small sample makes it seriously unrepresentative. However, the media prefer to perpetuate the myth of the natural born killer. The "prey" brought home would also include a significant proportion of scavenged creatures, many of which would certainly be the victims of plate glass windows, RTAs and other non feline causes.

It is not unfeasible that Hecate and Mili will bring back a present or two. But Hecate is far from agile and struggles to manage the steps up the garden let alone chase down a rapid moving small mammal. Mili does well for her age but she undeniably has vision which is less than 20:20 so would have a difficult time catching most creatures but the odd spider should beware.

Sparrow Hawk another predator on the front lawn

My Gardening Philosophy (reasons I enjoy gardening part 3)

As Sigmund Freud once said "time spent with cats is never wasted". I am well aware that there are plenty of gardeners out there who would rather never see a feline in their garden ever again. I admit they can be something of a nuisance when they are not your own well loved companions. However, there is little doubt that I like to be outside in the garden simply to enjoy their company.

I would like to think this is a reciprocal feeling. Certainly both Mili and Hecate will come rushing quickly (or more sedately in Hecate's case) to join me when "I go up the garden". Whether it is the feeling of extra security they have with their human close by or whether it is a case of showing off their prowess by climbing trees and chasing butterflies that motivates them I will never really be sure. What is without doubt, however, is that we do enjoy each others company.

There are times when my gardening tasks are a higher priority than fussing over the felines. I can tell this exasperates Mili and Hecate who cannot perceive of anything more important than some human attention. So it is not infrequently the case that they will tire of milling around but instead find a quiet spot from which they can observe (providing they can keep their eyes open for long enough). But as soon as the spade is put down and I am taking a little breather, one or the other is more than likely to show up out of apparently nowhere! I find this quite a comfort knowing that I too am being watched over even if there is more than an element of cupboard love about it.

I also believe that the more time they spend with me up in the garden the more likely they are to associate this space with being their territory. Hopefully this then encourages them to stay in this part of the great outside. I am more convinced that this applies to Hecate who is naturally a little more timid. She very rarely ventures beyond the confines of our own garden and when she does, quite sensibly she only seems to go to the next door neighbour that she trusts; the kind lady who provides the meals when we go away for a few days.

"I love cats because I enjoy my home [garden] and little by little they become its visible soul" Jean Cocteau (French poet, playwright and artist)

My Gardening Philosophy (or why I enjoy gardening part 2)

It is now a well acknowledged fact that people like to be outside. For me this might be on the golf course or more usually in the garden. This is, of course, related to a connection with the land (or if you prefer, connecting with nature) but for me it is more simple, I get pleasure from just being outside. Being indoors can feel restrictive and irrespective of the weather, I do like to be outdoors. Getting a breath of fresh air is invigorating. Doing the gardening when you are wrapped up against the cold or protected by your second best waterproofs or even gardening in the nice sunshine of a balmy summers day is just wonderful.

According to Simon Worrall in a recent National Geographic article (February 2017) neuroscientists, especially in the U.K. and U.S., are starting to look at how people’s brains respond to different environments. What they’re seeing is that if their volunteers are walking through a city or noisy area, their brains are doing different things than if they are walking in a park [or in your garden]. The frontal lobe, the part of our brain that’s hyper-engaged in modern life, deactivates a little when you are outside. Alpha waves, which indicate a calm but alert state, grow stronger. Buddhist monks, meditators, are also great at engaging alpha waves.

Worrall continues "The Romantic poets emerged during the dawn of industrialization. They saw tremendous benefits to being in places that weren’t crowded or dirty, that were more pastoral, like the Alps. The alpine tour took off in the late 18th century to early 19th century. What was unique about it was that it wasn’t about finding peace in God or finding religion. It was about this more immediate connection to nature and how that spurred our spiritual imaginations, how being in more rural, natural environments made us whole as people."

Being outside is good reason itself for taking up gardening, it gets me out and if we let the weather put us off, to quote a greater thinker than me,

"Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather". John Ruskin

I am sure this is why I enjoy all the seasons and why climate and weather features so regularly on this blog. Getting fresh air is a good reason to get outside even if the jobs are nearly all complete and the weather a little inclement.  One final quote from an esteemed ex colleague and keen gardener "there is nothing better than a cup of tea outside" Adam P.

Go outside and get some fresh air
good advice for us all

My Gardening Philosophy (reasons I enjoy gardening part 1)

Most of us garden on a routine basis because it is necessary to keep on top of the jobs and in truth it can be a bit of a chore when time is precious. However, the reason we started in the first instance and why we continue in the long term is far more complex. There is a lot of emphasis at the moment put on the mental well-being "of getting your hands dirty in the soil" while other gardeners are seriously practical and are keen to maximize productivity from their plots. Then there are the advocates of the arts and crafts, who want to create their own little piece of nirvana outside their back door. In fact the reasons that we garden are really quite complicated and vary so much from one individual to the next.

I have been intrigued by the question why do certain people take to gardening and others do not. I think we all know the chap who would seem to tick all the boxes for the likely gardener only to be surprised find he is content with a patch of artificial grass, deck chairs and a BBQ around the back of his house. Similarly, some gardeners are the most unlikely of people yet others seem to have been born with a trowel in their hand. I have occasionally asked myself why do I like to garden, especially when time is in short supply and I had a career and job to hold down (not such a problem now I have retired).

In the next few weeks I will speculate on the motivation behind my desire to be out in the garden. I suspect any rank order of reasons would be pointless and likely to change on a month by month basis. However, the prime driving force which compels me to get outside and into the garden is quite simply just to have fun. My wife would say it is the fact that I have never grown up and I admit I cannot resist the urge to go out and "play". I guess it is epitomized by my pot of sage which has been nurtured and tended for years. Nothing unusual about that you might think but when I say it has never been harvested for cooking just why do I bother keeping it going? Answer just because I can and it's fun. The same can be said for hard landscaping  (playing with grown up Lego) or tending the ponds (playing in the water) even clearing the snow of the conifers (an excuse to go out and play). Essentially gardening is FUN and we can all enjoy the most basic of pleasures!

Someone else also finds it fun...... Hecate

Learning From Hecate and Mili

 Summer in the garden means plenty of jobs to be getting along with and naturally the two cats want to be involved; it is their space after all!  Although their interest seems to wane when their human is too busy to fuss and play, in this lovely hot weather the sensible gardener does things at an even and steady pace, so a little more time for Hecate and Mili.

One of the best pieces of advice I have ever been given is that to enjoy your gardening take it at a pace which is always tolerable, in fact the ex colleague that passed on this pearl of wisdom said that if you break into a sweat you are not doing it right. I am sure the two felines would endorse those sentiments.

Above Hecate can be seen in an unusually purposeful stride checking on what progress is being made, below Mili catches me during one of those all important rest periods and snuggles up for a nap. (But then who could deny a furball when they put on their irresistible head: Mili again lowest photo)

Clearly therefore the top tip is try to pace yourself when gardening. You will certainly
enjoy the outdoors all the more for taking a little time to smell the roses.

"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience."
Ralph Waldo Emerson- American essayist and philosopher

Philosophy behind the blog

I have been asked by the few fellow gardeners who know that I write a blog "why do you do it?"

The rationale behind these musings are really quite simple, writing about the cats and the garden serves to keep me out of too much mischief. The fact the blog needs new entries  serves to prompt me into outside activity. It also helps to drive me on to try and make a half decent job of it all. However, the direct reasons I write the blog are twofold
1. For Mum, who rarely gets the chance to visit in person but via the blog she can keep up to date with progress
2. For my records, so the changes can be documented and importantly to help me to organize a proper gardening calendar.
(when I review old pictures of how the garden used to look, it reminds me how nice it is to keep a record to refer back to; see the blog entries on evolution)

While it is tempting to say there are also more altruistic motives, that my blog entries might help other gardeners who face similar challenges, I am realistic enough to realize that barely anyone will find their way here. However, when they do it does give me a little fillip. I have been amazed that people from other countries have even read the blog on occasions, to date they include USA, Ireland, The Netherlands, Mexico, Poland and South Korea. As an ex geography teacher this global reach is rather exciting and I will not pretend that I don't really enjoy it when a new country appears on the audience statistics. Sadly, the number of comments is really very small. It would be nice to get a little feedback and perhaps suggestions as what other people are most interested in.

In 2015 the garden was clearly more enclosed